Can't Demo!

I'm on the verge of buying my first walk behind or ztr and I went to a couple local dealers and one told me I can't even start it up til I buy it! Is that weird or is this common practice? The other dealer let me drive and use the Scag Cougar and Walker Model T. Do some dealers let you take the mower to use for your own lawns to demo? I would like to try as much as I can before I commmit.

A good dealer will bring one to you in the field or at your house or shop if you set a date, My dealer droped off a new 04 Toro EFI with 0hrs and let me demo it for 3 days, But ive bought alot of equipment from him over the yrs...Id never buy anything from such a dealer.......Demo, Demo, Demo, untill you find the machine your looking for, A nice Z will cost you around 10K so a verygood dealer is one of the most important thing's in your business....Marks Mowing Service

I had the same prob' I ALMOST had to commit to buying the machine to get a demo. I was 99% sure of what I wanted so it wasn't a big deal. The dealers around here don't even stock commercial equip' so the have to order stuff in and if it get's used in a demo and not sold then they are stuck. I don't know why the manufacureers don't allow them demo machines to show off their product.
Ask the dealer If he whould buy a car without starting it or driveing it on the road..
When I worket in retail, some people wouldn't even buy a stereo unless we took it out of the box and made sure everything worked. The dispaly model wasn't good enough.

If your dealer CANT, and honestly they cant DEMO every unit, as they can no longer be sold as NEW when there are a few hours on them, or grass under the deck, then he can call his DISTRIBUTOR and THEY always have demos available.

Schedule a demo through the regional distributor. Then buy the machine from the dealer of choice. If you buy from a different dealer make sure to go by your original dealers business and buy a quart of oil and let him see your new ride. Then he will know you were serious.